110 pages • 3 hours read
Jay HeinrichsThank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Key Figures
Themes
Index of Terms
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaEssay Topics
What are the basic elements of an argument? What are the three megatools of rhetoric that help form arguments? Provide an example for each tool.
What are tactics with which people can defend themselves against logical fallacy? Provide one defense for each logical sin and rhetoric foul.
Jay Heinrichs says, “Persuasion doesn’t depend on being true to yourself. It depends on being true to your audience” (53). What does he mean by this, and how might persuaders go about achieving this?
How would you go about defending yourself against bullies in an argument?
Why are apologies unnecessary in rhetoric? How does one recover from a mistake without apologizing?
Pick a divisive issue in modern society (i.e., climate change, gun control, women’s reproductive rights, etc.). How would you define the issue in your favor?
What argument tools would you use to transport your audience to an alternate universe of your creation? Is distorting reality in this manner morally wrong?
Why does Heinrichs consider both Barack Obama and Donald Trump master persuaders? Do you think ancient orators like Cicero and Socrates would agree with Heinrichs’s assessment? Why or why not?
Heinrichs notes that rhetoric is both good and evil. What does he mean by this?
Heinrichs argues that rhetoric is a “valuable tool of democracy” (356). Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not?
